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Perhaps I've been insufficiently clear. Those products are essential and currently pretty much all of our chemical knowledge is based on fossil fuels. Plastics

by Arubis 8y ago

Perhaps I've been insufficiently clear. Those products are essential and currently pretty much all of our chemical knowledge is based on fossil fuels. Plastics are a _big deal_ and we don't have a clear replacement for the source material--so let's minimize burning it.

perl4ever 8y ago
I don't understand why people say fossil fuels are particularly required for plastics. Plastics can be made from renewable sources just as much as fuel. I used to have a mug that my employer gave me made of plant-based plastic.
- ThomPete 8y ago
  Because everything, the whole logistical system is based around that and optimized for that. Think about it as an ecosystem. The flexibility of oil is second to none. The second you start to "pollute" (no pun intended) the ecosystem with other sources you are making it more complex and more expensive as you are suddenly introducing foreign materials that needs to be handled differently. It's not as simple as many would like to believe.
  - tinus_hn 8y ago
    Then it’s better to start as soon as possible. Oil is not the future, it’s the past. It’s finite and it’s running out. You can either learn to deal with alternatives or live without.
    - ThomPete 8y ago
      i gave an argument for why its not going away. You gave me a slogan.
      - tinus_hn 8y ago
        Well, good luck with your dependence on an infinite supply of fossile fuel!
        ThomPete 8y ago
        I am not relying on that. I didn't say it lasted forever I said it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
  - perl4ever 8y ago
    My point is that plastics can be synthesized from a variety of sources, just like fuel. I'm not saying it's trivial in either case to switch to renewable sources, I'm just saying that I don't see why we should ignore economics and reserve fossil petroleum for plastics.
    - ThomPete 8y ago
      You answered your own question. Again you need to provide a better alternative than oil currently is. There isn't any and so oil will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

by Arubis 8y ago

perl4ever 8y ago

I don't understand why people say fossil fuels are particularly required for plastics. Plastics can be made from renewable sources just as much as fuel. I used to have a mug that my employer gave me made of plant-based plastic.

ThomPete 8y ago
Because everything, the whole logistical system is based around that and optimized for that. Think about it as an ecosystem. The flexibility of oil is second to none. The second you start to "pollute" (no pun intended) the ecosystem with other sources you are making it more complex and more expensive as you are suddenly introducing foreign materials that needs to be handled differently. It's not as simple as many would like to believe.
- tinus_hn 8y ago
  Then it’s better to start as soon as possible. Oil is not the future, it’s the past. It’s finite and it’s running out. You can either learn to deal with alternatives or live without.
  - ThomPete 8y ago
    i gave an argument for why its not going away. You gave me a slogan.
    - tinus_hn 8y ago
      Well, good luck with your dependence on an infinite supply of fossile fuel!
      - ThomPete 8y ago
        I am not relying on that. I didn't say it lasted forever I said it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
- perl4ever 8y ago
  My point is that plastics can be synthesized from a variety of sources, just like fuel. I'm not saying it's trivial in either case to switch to renewable sources, I'm just saying that I don't see why we should ignore economics and reserve fossil petroleum for plastics.
  - ThomPete 8y ago
    You answered your own question. Again you need to provide a better alternative than oil currently is. There isn't any and so oil will not be going anywhere anytime soon.